The Bodyguard: The Musical
Deborah Cox steps into the shoes (and elaborate costumes) of diva Whitney Houston for eight Portland performances of this musical adaptation of the blockbuster movie that is most well known for “I Will Always Love You,” but is also an outlandish potboiler mystery thing. It is to actual bodyguarding what Road House is to bar bouncing. Which is what makes it so damn enjoyable. That and “Queen of the Night.”
7:30 pm, Keller Auditorium
Mandolin Orange, Rachel Baima
Bands get big in all kinds of weird ways these days. Some come up through YouTube or SoundCloud. Some score prominent placements in TV commercials or movies. Some have powerful publicists. And some still do it the old-fashioned way: write great songs, record them well, get them into the ears of people, travel around the country, play shows that feel special. That’s what Mandolin Orange has done. The duo of songwriter Andrew Marlin and multi-instrumentalist Emily Frantz has risen quickly over the past several years, from fresh-faced, bluegrass-rooted Americana act to roots-pop powerhouse that sells out increasingly large venues far from their Chapel Hill, North Carolina home. No doubt, the band’s top-shelf picking, melodic sensibility, and beautiful, slow-burning songs have made Mandolin Orange into stars. Tonight, the play one of those sold-out, far-from-home shows at Revolution Hall. BEN SALMON
8 pm, Revolution Hall, $17-20
The Poetry Brothel
The Poetry Brothel is an immersive cabaret featuring one-on-one poetry readings, live jazz, burlesque dancers, painters, and fortune-tellers.
8:30 pm, Star Theater, $40-75
B-Movie Bingo: Breathing Fire
Your monthly opportunity to literally check off a bingo card full of B-movie clichés! This month features the answer to the question “You remember that kid who played Short Round in Temple of Doom right? Whatever happened to that kid?” Well, he played Charlie Moore in 1991’s Breathing Fire, a movie about a bunch of rich kids whose father gets them caught up in some gangland warfare bullshit, leading to a situation where Data from The Goonies has to face off against Chong Li from Bloodsport. Which is… not where you probably expected Short Round to wind up, but the ‘90s were pretty goddamned weird almost all of the time. BOBBY ROBERTS
7:30 pm, Hollywood Theatre
Southern Culture on the Skids
Southern Culture on the Skids keep cranking out Kentucky-fried rock that’s both silly and satirical. Of course, their live shows are the real attraction. If you’re close enough to the stage, look out for flying pieces of chicken. The greasy fun never stops with SCOTS, and there’s plenty of lean musicality—from country to punk to surf—to offer sustenance. MARK LORE
9 pm, Aladdin Theater, $20-25, all ages
The New Mastersounds, Kung Fu
Britain’s New Mastersounds are modern-day true believers of the funk, studious yet soulful acolytes who’ve nailed those Zigaboo Modeliste beats, head-bobbing bass lines, swirling organ fills, and clipped guitar punctuation. And, thankfully, they rarely feel the need to add vocals to their tightly coiled compositions. DAVE SEGAL
8:30 pm, Wonder Ballroom, $20-22
Quinn XCII
The quick-rising Michigan-based singer/songwriter brings his funk- and hip-hop-infused indie-pop to the Hawthorne Theatre stage for an all-ages show ahead of his forthcoming Columbia Records-issued debut.
8 pm, Hawthorne Theatre, $15-18, all ages
Don’t forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!